#Battered #Broken #Nirvana #Guitar #WorthPoint
Photo credit: Hake’s Auctions
Usually, if an instrument or any other piece of equipment is damaged beyond repair, it winds up in a landfill, never to be seen again. That’s not the case for a guitar once owned and destroyed by rock and roll legend Kurt Cobain.
In January 1991, a small concert at the library on the campus of Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA, was the scene of a rock and roll moment that produced a vintage item that collectors will be clamoring for when it goes under the hammer at Hake’s Auctions, a WorthPoint Industry Partner.
The band Nirvana was in its early days, playing small gigs in their hometown area. Concert attendees at the Evergreen State Library paid $4 at the door for a ticket. The venue was small, with about 500 in the audience, but the band, founded by Cobain, was a local favorite.
The band had released an LP entitled Bleach and was about to finish up another, the Nevermind album. On that night, during that show, the band performed their new song, “Endless Nameless,” which would be on the Nevermind album when it was released eight months later. During the song, Cobain thrashed around wildly, which was typical for the band. He played a white Stratocaster for most of the show; however, near the end, he swapped it out for the now-famous left-handed copy of a Memphis Stratocaster. Footage of the show is available here, and at the very end, Cobain is seen sitting on the stage, taking a hammer to the Stratocaster reproduction made by Matsumoku, a Japanese company.
As Cobain launched into “Nameless, Endless,” the crowd went wild, as rumors were that this track would be the “mystery” song for their upcoming album. Cobain was known for his sometimes violent stage antics, and this show was no different. He took a hammer to the Stratocaster dupe, shearing off the headstock and creating a tangle of frets and strings. No part of the instrument was left untouched.
The band initially left the guitar behind on stage; however, a local guitarist, Chris Brady, who was a fan of Nirvana, took it out of the venue under his coat, eventually giving it to a fellow fan and local musician, Janel “Hell” Jarosz, for her 25th birthday. The guitar has reached legendary status among collectors and fans, and Jarosz has decided to put it up for sale. Previous auctions for Cobain’s guitars have brought mid-seven-figure prices, so experts expect this guitar to follow that trend.
Brenda Kelley Kim lives in the Boston area. She is the author of Sink or Swim: Tales From the Deep End of Everywhere and writes a weekly syndicated column for The Marblehead Weekly News/Essex Media Group. When not writing or walking her snorty pug, Penny, she enjoys yard sales, flea markets, and badminton.
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